


Sickness

by SeverusSnapeFan



Series: The Trials and Desperation of Spider-Man [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, NO PUKE, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Stomach Ache, stomach bug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 11:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17559305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeverusSnapeFan/pseuds/SeverusSnapeFan
Summary: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that,” Peter mumbled out, ignoring the stinging in his eyes. He was over emotional because he was sick and he didn’t like it.“No no no, Underoos you had every right to ask that. Its my job to take care of you, and if I can’t be here for you when it’s bad then I don’t deserve to be there when you’re at your best,” Tony told him with an apologetic smile before he closed the stall door behind him and maneuvered himself so he could clean up his child.





	Sickness

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't think of a title or a summary for that matter. It's self explanatory. As always read the tags. 
> 
> This is set a couple months after Nightmare. Peter is 13 in this series, as always I'm picking and choosing

Peter held his stomach gently, it was churning something awful and he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t even properly enjoy their weekly Friday quiz that Mr. Warren had given them. It was pretty easy but because he wasn’t sure if he need to use the bathroom or throw up which is why he wasn’t having any fun. As it was, he found himself breaking out into a cold sweat and his hand immediately went up, as he knew what that meant.

Mr. Warren noted the hand and gestured for the teen to come up to his desk. He didn’t want to disturb any of the other children, not to mention the child in question looked a bit too peaky for his liking. 

Peter groaned softly before he got up and made his way to his teacher’s desk. He held onto his stomach with one hand, swallowing convulsively as his other hand went to hold onto his teachers desk. He felt really unsteady on his feet, and he knew without a doubt he was probably sick.

“What’s wrong Peter?” Mr. Warren asked, cutting straight to the point.

“I don’t feel so good, and my stomach really hurts,” Peter admitted out softly.

“Why don’t you go to the bathroom and see what happens? If you’re not back in ten minutes or so, I’ll send Ned with your things and a hall pass for the nurse,” Mr. Warren told the child. 

He didn’t want him having to come back here only to leave again. The boy might actually collapse if his body was weak enough. And he looked like he needed to lay down as soon as possible

Peter managed a shaky smile at that, but he had another issue. “What about the quiz, I didn’t finish it,” he murmured out, worried about his grade.

“It’ll be as if you didn’t come, you can either make it up at a later date or it just doesn’t count towards your grade. Let me worry about that either way, I do hope you feel better,” he told the teen.

“Me too, thank you Mr. Warren,” Peter said before he slowly walked out of the classroom, and to the bathroom.

Peter managed to make it to the bathroom, immediately locking himself into a stall. He swallowed thickly before he hurriedly unbuckled his pants and after pulling them down took a seat on the toilet.

He groaned audibly as his stomach rebelled, thanking whoever that the bathroom was completely empty. He shivered before weakly grabbing the toilet paper to clean up. Once he was done he stumbled out to the sink, to wash his hands and his face. The small teen swallowed hard, trying to keep everything down. 

Peter held onto the sink tightly, feeling weaker then he had ever felt before. What was going on? He had thought since getting his Spider powers that normal illnesses didn’t affect him. Had he been wrong? He blew out a breath and shakily made his way to the door, only for it to open suddenly and he had to grab onto the wall to stay upright.

“Peter? Oh my god are you okay? Mr. Warren sent me to check up on you and bring your stuff. You don’t look too good? Are you sick? Is that possible?” Ned rambled out before he wrapped and arm around his friend’s waist to help lead him to the nurse’s office.

“I think I might have a stomach bug or something, and I don’t know. I didn’t think to run any tests,” Peter whispered out hoarsely.

“Well how do you feel?” Ned asked out curiously as they made their way down the empty hallway.

“Sick, like really sick. I feel like I might throw up,” Peter admitted with a grimace. 

“Then it is possible,” Ned said with a sympathetic look on his face as he practically carried his friend to the nurse’s office.

“Thanks a lot Ned,” Peter panted out as he sat down on the bed in the office. He knew he wouldn’t have made it, if not for his friend. 

“Don’t mention it Man, I’ll text you tonight and see how you are,” Ned told his best friend.

“Okay,” Peter said swallowing thickly before he allowed himself to lay down as the Nurse walked in.

“What seems to be the probably honey?” Jennifer asked out kindly as she brought her hand up to gently touch his forehead. Most children didn’t know how to properly explain just what they were feeling, even if they were smarter then average preteens and teenagers.

“My stomach’s messed up,” Peter groaned out.

“Messed up how? Have you thrown up or did you have diarrhea?” She asked him softly.

“The second one, and my stomach is still really hurting,” Peter added out, feeling too horrible to be embarrassed.

“You might have that Stomach bug that’s been going around,” Jennifer said quietly before taking out the forehead thermometer and gently swiping it across his forehead.

“Is it bad?” Peter mumbled out. 

“It can be, at the moment I’m more worried about your temperature,” Jennifer admitted out before pulling out his paperwork. She already knew who this was, as she had treated him numerous times in the past.

“How high is it?” Peter asked out softly, hoping it wasn’t too high. He didn’t want to freak anyone out, when his body was different.

“Too high honey,” Jennifer said vaguely before she stood up and grabbed a cold compress from the refrigerator before laying it on the child’s forehead.

“Feels good,” Peter mumbled out tiredly.

“I’m glad it does,” Jennifer said truthfully. If the child had of complained that he was cold, she would have worried even more. Because it meant that the situation was a little bit more dangerous then she wanted it to be. 

She nodded before going back to finding his form, and setting it on the table. She read through it, before finding May’s name and number and giving it a call. She was disappointed when the phone continued to ring, before trying the woman’s cell phone. This she left a message when the voicemail came on before she hung up, deciding to just try again to no avail.

“Is Aunt May coming?” Peter asked out hoarsely. He just wanted to be in his own bed, and wanted his Aunt cuddling him Like she always did when he was sick.

“That’s what I’m trying to see sweetie,” Jennifer said before trying the house number again.

“What’s wrong?” Peter asked tiredly.

“You’re Aunt is not picking up her phone, do you have her work number?” Nurse Jennifer asked kindly as she looked at the child laying on the bed.

Peter winced as he remembered something. Even if he called her work number she wouldn’t be there. Aunt May had left town last Friday for some work related retreat. He hadn’t been too interested when she told him, only that he knew she would be able to relax a bit. He knew now that Tony was on there for his second emergency contact and he just hoped that the Inventor wasn’t in a meeting.

“I just remembered that she was on a business trip,” he told her softly from where he was laying on the cot.

“Oh dear hun, let me see who else is on your form,” she said fretting a little. The child could not stay in school, not with his fever this high. Not to mention the boy himself looked liked he was only minutes away from passing out. 

Peter nodded before closing his eyes, wincing slightly when he heard her give a slight gasp. “What’s the matter?” He mumbled out.

“I think your form has a mistake for your second contact,” Nurse Jenny said delicately.

“It’s…its not a mistake, you should call it,” Peter replied it quickly. He didn’t feel well enough to explain why it wasn’t a mistake. As it was, he was trying to ignore his churning tummy.

“Alright Dear,” Jennifer replied before dialing the number.

Tony glanced at his phone, recognizing the number being from Peter’s school. Luckily he wasn’t in a meeting and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Mr. Stark?” Jennifer asked, her professionalism the only thing keeping her from squealing.

“Yes this is he, whose calling?” Tony asked, not recognizing the voice on the other end.

“My name is Jennifer Smiles, I’m the nurse at Midtown High school. I’m calling because you are listed as second contact in regards to one of the students here,” she explained truthfully.

“Underoos? Is he okay?” Tony asked as he quickly shot off a text for Happy to get the car, as he stood up.

“I’m sorry Mr. Stark but I cannot answer that until you can confirm the identity of the student with their first and last name,” Jennifer told the man apologetically. She had heard the nickname and was a little bit bemused but they took the safety of their students very seriously.

“Peter Parker, nephew of May Parker. Is he okay?” Tony repeated out, loosening his tie as his heart thudded painfully in his chest. Had something happened at the child’s school?

“He’s safe, however he was brought in by his friend after nearly passing out in the bathroom. The reason why I’m calling you is to tell you he has a temperature of 103.3 and that he is experiencing diarrhea, and I’m worried that he’s dehydrated on top of everything else,” Jennifer explained. Well the doubt she had about the form having a mistake was null and void after the concern she could hear in the man’s voice. 

“Okay, I’m on my way, Can you put him on the phone?” Tony asked, wanting to hear his voice. Even though he knew that JARVIS couldn’t do a scan from this far, he would need to make something small so that he wouldn’t need to rely on word of mouth. 

He didn’t like the feeling of not being able to do anything when it came to the people he loved. Whoa, where had thought come from? He shook his head to rid the sudden questioning in his thoughts in favor of focusing on what the nurse was saying. 

“Of course, Peter? I have Mr. Stark on the phone for you,” Jennifer said as she held out the phone for the boy to take.

“Dad,” Peter croaked out pitifully as he grabbed the phone and held it to his ear.

Jennifer let out a quiet gasped before she silenced herself. She was aware that she wasn’t supposed to have heard that. Had they been unaware that the Stark heir was right under their noses all this time? Not that it mattered, confidentiality was a big deal in regards to their students and she wouldn’t be saying anything. She liked her job thank you very much. 

“Underoos, What hurts?” Tony asked, ignoring the warmth that he felt in his stomach at the child’s address of him. He could gush about it to Pepper later, right now he needed to focus on the sick child, his sick child. 

“My head, and my tummy,” Peter whimpered out, sounded much younger then his thirteen years.

“Happy’s on his way with the car but, I’m going to fly out there myself. I’m on my way as we speak,” Tony promised and he was in his Iron Man armor flying out of the city. His heart went out to the child and he wished that he was already there with him. He wanted to hold him in his arms and make sure that the boy truly was okay. He was very worried. 

“How long are you gonna take to get here?” Peter asked out hoarsely, just wanting to be with Tony already.

“About 15 minutes kiddo,” Tony told him apologetically, but it was the fastest he could do.

“Kay, I’m in the nurses office on a bed,” Peter explained out softly. 

He just wanted Tony to be here right now. He wondered if the man would be able to take him back to their apartment or if he would go to the tower with him. He didn’t want to admit even to himself that he hoped that Tony would take him to the tower. He didn’t want to be alone, not when he was sick.

“I know kiddo, she told me. Just try to rest okay?” Tony told the child seriously.

“Kay,” Peter repeated out before sniffling. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, getting a bit emotional as he realized that he was going to have to hang up.

“Less then 13 minutes Underoos, I promise I’ll be there,” Tony said out soothingly before he hung up the phone. He could fly faster if he wasn’t talking and he needed to get there for his kid. His heart physically ached, when he had heard the tears in the child’s voice and he focused on his flying, he needed to be there. 

“He said he’s coming,” Peter told the nurse quietly as he handed her back the phone.

“I know he is sweetie, just try to rest okay?” Jennifer said soothingly. 

“Ugh, I don’t think I can, I gotta use the bathroom again,” Peter said with a grimace on his face as he sat up and the bed with one hand on his stomach. He tried to refrain from looking at the clock, knowing he would be devasted if 13 minutes passed and Tony didn’t come. 

“It’s just through there sweetie, if you need me call me,” Jennifer said, aware the child wouldn’t want an audience to his stomach troubles. The bathroom was across the bed and though it had a door, you could still hear everything with how small the actual office was. She would be making herself scarce, and getting the paperwork ready for him to get signed out of school.

Peter nodded before he slowly made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind himself.

Jennifer grabbed the paperwork from her desk, so Mr. Stark could sign his charge out when he got here, before she made her way up to the front office.

Tony made it to Midtown School in 10 minutes, surprised that he had managed to shave three minutes off what he told Peter. He had retracted the Iron Man suit, and was fixing his watch before he walked quickly into the school. He knew that he needed to keep a low profile but he was too worried about his kid at the moment. After signing himself in, he was led to the Nurse’s office where Peter was laid out on the bed.

“You came,” Peter said out quietly as he sat up with a wince.

“I did, come on kiddo, we are going home,” Tony said as he shouldered the child’s pack before he reached for the boy. 

Peter reached for his mentor, and was surprised to find the man picking him up. He sighed softly as he laid his head on the man’s shoulder, as that was once less thing he needed to worry about. He had been trying to hype himself up so he could get up and walk, but that was all moot now as Tony was carrying him out. 

“I’m going with you to the tower?” Peter asked out softly as he closed his eyes, the last thing he wanted was to get dizzy.

“Yes, with Aunt hottie out of town, you are not going back to your apartment. We discussed this Pete, you’re staying with me until she comes back,” Tony told him quietly.

“I wasn’t sure if that changed because I got sick,” Peter admitted out softly.

“No, most definitely not. If anything, it assured me that you will be with me at all times,” Tony told him honestly. 

He could feel the heat of the child’s temperature through his shirt and he wanted to get him into the car so JARVIS could run a scan. He was in luck because as soon as he walked out of the building of the school, Happy was already waiting and with the door open.

“How is he?” Happy asked gruffly, those his eyes betrayed his concern for the child.

“I don’t know, the nurse thinks he caught a bad strain of the stomach bug that’s been going around. And for some reason we thought that he couldn’t get sick anymore, but that’s clearly wrong,” Tony said with a frown. It was an oversight on his part and now this kid of his had to suffer the consequences. 

“You had no way of knowing, but at least now this allows you to study how his body reacts and fights an illness,” Happy said as he shut the door after them before he headed to get into the driver’s side.

“That is very true Happy, thank you,” Tony said as he hadn’t realized what a learning process this was going to be until his friend had pointed it out. And Bruce would be there to help him out, and he was sure his fellow science bro would be thrilled help out. 

He did let out a little sigh as he remembered something else, the Avengers were currently residing in his tower. Things were still a bit tensed after the whole Civil War fiasco, but they were getting back into the swing of things more of less. 

He was just wary of Peter being around them, and slightly afraid that Steve might try to turn him against Tony. He shook his head, not wanting to let his insecurities get in the way before he turned to buckle the child in. 

He moved his arm around Peter’s body allowing the child to rest on his side. “JARVIS scan Peter please,”

“Yes sir,” JARVIS replied out promptly.

Peter kept his eyes closed, relaxing as he breathed in the unique scent of expensive cologne mixed with moter oil, that was irrevocably Tony. 

“What did you find buddy?” Tony asked out when a couple of minutes had gone by.

“That he is currently fighting off a very severe case of the viral gastroenteritis,” JARVIS told him promptly.

“Any medications or things that would help this run it’s course faster?” Tony asked hopefully as he knew there was no cure for this. 

“Rest, and some anti-diarrhea medications might help. Rehydration and replacing the fluids that he is losing if very important. We will see if he wants to drink anything and if not, we can always insert IV fluids in case he doesn’t. I will also order some Pedialyte freezer pops and some soup for once you get here,” JARVIS told him quietly. 

“Thank you JARVIS, I really appreciate that,” Tony said gratefully, so glad that his A.I. knew what do to because he didn’t.

“Always sir,” the A.I. said before he quieted and got to work ordering what they needed.

Peter had managed a light doze by this time, still soothed by the scent of his father figure. He was content to sleep but that plan when out the window when he was suddenly awoken by a sharp pain in his abdomen. 

His eyes snapped open and he bent at the waist trying to ease whatever this awful feeling in his stomach was. He had only a few seconds when his stomach let out a loud ominous gurgle.

“That didn’t sound good,” Tony said carefully as he turned to look at his kid, glancing around for a bag as he was unsure what might happen. 

“Mr. Stark, I need to use the bathroom,” Peter said with a grimace on his face as his arms curled protectively around his stomach.

“This is very important question underoos, what do you need to do?“ Tony asked, already signaling Happy to stop somewhere. He wasn’t sure if the child had to throw up or what, he just wanted to be in the know. He did not want to be surprised in anyway. 

Peter’s stomach gave off another gurgle, this one more menacing then the first one had been. The small boy gave off a low groan, trying to pull the seatbelt off his tummy. “Number two at least,” Peter said giving a small squirm on his seat.

“So, you don’t have to upchuck?” Tony asked to clarify. He was trying to be as thorough as possible, as he didn’t want any gross surprises.

“No,” Peter promised out before his face suddenly went bright red as his body let off some audible gas as if to prove his claim true. “Sorry! I didn’t mean too that, sorry Mr. Stark,” the sick teen babbled out embarrassedly

“Hey, underoos relax kid, I know you didn’t mean too, and I’m not mad even if you had. Gas belongs on the outside anyway and everyone does it,” Tony said soothingly. He could smell it, and he knew without a doubt the child’s stomach was torn up just by the smell. 

“I really gotta go Mr. Stark,” Peter breathed out heavily, his fingers tugging up his shirt so he could look at his stomach. He couldn’t fathom with the way his tummy was rolling and churning on the inside how he couldn’t see it on the outside. 

“Stop at a hotel if you have too Happy, I’ll pay whatever you know that,” Tony called out, as he was unsure if there was any place close. 

“The Four Seasons is coming up, I’ll stop there,” Happy called back, his heart going out for the kid. 

“Okay kid, you’ve got two options, the bathrooms in the lobby or whatever room they end up giving us,” Tony told the child, wondering if he needed to put in an order or something. He was woefully out of his element and he was unsure what his sick child needed at this very moment. JARVIS seemed to be on top of everything but he felt woefully ignorant and he hated it. .

“The lobby,” Peter said before groaning and twisting around in his seat. “I’m gonna have an accident,” he whimpered out anxiously. 

“You are not gonna have an accident, you are fine,” Tony said in a soothing voice, trying to keep his own worry in check. He didn’t know what he would do if the child didn’t make it.

“But what happens if I do?” Peter asked out sadly. It was obvious even to him that if the car didn’t stop somewhere with a toilet, that the insides of his jeans were going to be stained, and probably the seat of Tony’s expensive car too. He would never be able to show his face to Happy again. 

“Then I will sort something out. It will be okay,” Tony promised out, before his eyes flicked anxiously up to catch Happy’s eyes in the top mirror. 

“I’ll be pulling in under two minutes Boss,” Happy answered the unasked question quietly even as he turned into the hotel check in entrance.

“Good,” Peter blew out shakily, already unbuckling his seatbelt. He didn’t even know where he was supposed to go, but as soon as the car had stopped he had the door opened and was quickly getting out.

“Happy take the card, check us in if you need too,” Tony said as he handed over his whole wallet before he got out of the car as well.

The billionaire hurried after the child who thankfully hadn’t gotten that far. He put his around around the boy and led him inside. He headed straight for the bathroom, as he had been in this hotel before. 

Peter allowed himself to be led, one hand holding onto his stomach while the other was pushing the back of his pants, to keep everything contained. He broke free from his guardian and stumbled into the first stall, his frantic hands breaking the buckle on his jeans as he managed to get them off and pulled down just in time.

“Kiddo did you make it all the way?” Tony asked softly as he came up to the stall to hold the door close.

“Yes,” Peter answered out miserably from where he was seated on the toilet.

“Just ride it out Underoos,” Tony said encouragingly, as there wasn’t much he could do. He pulled out his phone to text Happy, asking him to get some Pepto Bismol and some Gatorade from the hotel nurse’s station. 

Peter moaned softly, feeling the worse he had ever felt. He didn’t want to be on this toilet, he just wanted to be in bed, but his stomach had other plans. 

He was at least grateful for small mercies, at the fact that this stomach bug only seemed to be giving him diarrhea. He didn’t know what he would do, if he suddenly had to throw up. He knew how he was when that happened and he didn’t need to see his father figure witnessing him acting like a baby. He hated throwing up. 

“There’s no rush Underoos take your time, I’m not leaving,” Tony said in the same soothing tone as he continued to hold the door close. 

“Okay,” Peter mumbled out, as his stomach continued to empty. When the cramping in his stomach finally stopped, he slumped down on the toilet, unsure of how he was going to go about it. He felt way to weak for one thing, not to mention how lightheaded he currently felt. He had the realization that he would not be able to do this alone. 

“Underoos, are you all done?” Tony asked, when he didn’t hear anything else falling into the toilet.

“I think so, for now anyway,” Peter croaked out, unsure of how he was going to go about this. 

“Alright kiddo, why don’t you wipe and come out? I’ll carry you back to the car,” Tony told him not aware that there was an issue.

“I can’t,” Peter whispered out shamefully. He hoped that Tony wouldn’t leave him after what he was about to ask him. It wasn’t like he was the man’s kid, no matter how much Peter wished he was.

“What was that?” Tony asked out, opening the stall just a bit so he could hear the child a bit more.

“I…um….I…I think I need help,” Peter admitted out softly. 

Tony furrowed his eyebrows at the child’s words because that didn’t make sense. “What do you need help with?” He asked out in confusion. 

Peter blushed crimson as he became aware that he would have to actually admit what he meant because Tony was either being purposely obtuse or really didn’t get it. He didn’t think he could feel any lower then he currently did, but unless he wanted to remain on this toilet for the foreseeable future he needed to open his mouth. 

“Wiping…my arms don’t want to work and I think if I do it by myself I might pass out,” Peter whispered out completely mortified at this point at having to admit that.

Tony’s eyes got wide because he had not been expecting that answer at all, not in the slightest. He swallowed thickly, wondering if this was crossing some kind of line as Peter wasn’t biologically his, no matter how he wished it was true. 

He felt a bit awkward which is why he didn’t reply right away, but in the end he scoffed at his stupidity; Peter was as good as his kid, and he wasn’t going to say no. He had heard that parts of parenting could be gross, and he guessed this was one side of it. It could be worse, and whatever would help his kid was all that mattered. He would move the world if Peter needed him too. 

While Tony was having his inner monologue of acceptance, Peter was having an inwardly freak out. He couldn’t believe that he had just asked, Mr. Tony Freaking Stark to wipe his butt! He closed his eyes, trying to gain some kind of strength to help him, so he could get off this damn toilet. 

He would be worried that the man had left him as it had gotten so quiet but he could still see his fingers holding the stall door closed. He felt awkward all of a sudden like he should apologize which is why when the door finally opened, he knew that shock and disbelief was prominent on his face. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that,” Peter mumbled out, ignoring the stinging in his eyes. He was over emotional because he was sick and he didn’t like it.

“No no no, Underoos you had every right to ask that. Its my job to take care of you, and if I can’t be here for you when it’s bad then I don’t deserve to be there when you’re at your best,” Tony told him with an apologetic smile before he closed the stall door behind him and maneuvered himself so he could clean up his child. 

~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&

After their impromptu stop at the Four Seasons, and after Happy had found some Pepto Bismol for the child, Peter was able to sleep until they made it to the tower. He didn’t even stir, even as Tony picked him up and carried him out of the car and into the elevator. 

Tony wanted to put Peter in his room in the Penthouse, but it was devoid of food and knowing his child, when he wanted to eat, he would eat a lot. Not to mention, despite how he felt about some members of the Avengers he felt a lot safer with all hands on deck and Peter being on the same floor. He walked out of the elevator on the common floor before he headed for the first room that was by the first bathroom. 

This way, when Peter needed to go, he didn’t need to go very far. He smiled as he unlocked the door and shut the door behind them. A couple of the Avengers had asked about why this room in particular was locked but he hadn’t answered them as it wasn’t needed to know. He knew that when Peter felt better he would appreciate this room for what it was, his room on the Avengers floor. But for now, he was so glad for his foresight of being prepared for everything. 

He carefully laid Peter on the bed before he took of his socks and shoes and removed his pants before he tucked him into bed. He would put him into pajamas when he woke up again. At the moment, he was going to go see if he could make something that the child would want to eat when he woke up again. With a word to JARVIS about alerting him when the child woke up, or was disturbed, Tony left the room, making sure to close it behind him. 

~^~^~^A Few hours Later~^~^~^~

Bruce had seen a lot of things, especially in his line of work, not to mention because he loved to be off grid. That being said he was not prepared to walk into the first bathroom on the common floor to find a small teen stuck to the ceiling.

“Dad, I don’t think it’s working,” Peter wheezed out before he trailed off as he realized that the man in the doorway was NOT Tony Stark.

“I don’t believe I’m you’re father kid,” Bruce said with a bewildered look on his face. What the heck was going on here?

“Dr. Banner, hi. I was just….Uh…joking around, it’s something Mr. Stark and I do,” Peter said weakly.

“I’m sure you do,” Bruce said slowly. “Why are you on the ceiling?” He asked curiously.

“Heat rises, and my chest was super congested that I was having trouble breathing. And Jarvis suggested we try this,” Peter explained softly. His throat hurt, and he didn’t want to talk anymore. Plus he was pretty sure he had messed up somehow, how could he forget himself in that moment?  
.  
“Did it work?” Bruce asked, wondering if he might need to check the child’s breathing himself.

“Yes, I’m just waiting for Mr. Stark to come back so I can get down,” Peter replied with a wet cough.

“Tony is making you soup I think, let me help you down kid. How are you even sticking up there?” Bruce asked interestedly. It was pretty fascinating to see.

“Just something I can do,” the teen said quietly, as he slowly started to climb down. He was relieved when he felt Dr. Banner grab his waist and gently set him down. He was dizzy and he knew he would have fallen if he stayed up there for longer.

“You look minutes away from collapsing, where is your room?” Bruce said not beating around the bush. He made sure to keep one arm around the boy’s waist. He just did not look steady at all.

“It’s the one next door to here,” Peter replied breathlessly. He wasn’t looking forward to the walk back, even if it was short. His body was exhausted. 

Bruce looked at the child in surprise. “You’re not on the penthouse level with Tony?” He asked incredulously.

“I am, but my room down here is easier for an Avenger to help me if I need it,” Peter told him truthfully.

“That makes a lot of sense, Tony is nothing if not thorough,” Bruce said before he gently lifted the child in his arms, bridal style.

Peter sighed tiredly as he leaned his head against the man’s shoulder, he would have to explain his blunder to Tony when he next woke up. The soup would definitely have to wait, he wasn’t even hungry anyway.

Bruce carried the child the short distance to his room, noting in fond amusement on how it was decorated. It was very clear to him that the child was a huge fan of everything they stood for. Everything in the boy’s room was Avenger related. The bedding, curtains and an assortment of toys and legos. He glanced down at the sleepy child in his arms as he set him on the bed. 

“Don’t lay down yet, you need a new pajamas. The ones you have on are damp, and that’ll just get you chilled and make whatever you have worse,” Bruce said as he walked over to the dresser drawer. 

He went through the drawers quickly, until he found some pajamas, no surprise to find them of course with the Avengers characters on them. He was very amused as he made his way over to the child and quickly got him dressed. The child was complacent so he knew the exhaustion was kicking in. 

“Who is your second favorite Avenger?” Bruce asked kindly, as he moved the child so he could lay down. He didn’t need to ask who was first, it was obvious, especially with the Iron Man plush by the pillow.

Peter smiled softly, Bruce had been very gentle with him. When he was sick, it always made him have a headache from sensory overload. Sometimes it even got to be too much when someone touched him. But Bruce had a featherlight tough and he appreciated that. He just wish he could converse with him more. He hoped he got the opportunity again, when he was better. 

“You,” he answered without a moment of hesitation. Iron Man was clearly first, but he loved the relationship between Dr. Banner and Tony. It was like the one between him and Ned. 

Bruce was surprised to say the least, and was speechless as he tucked the child in. He ran his hand through the child’s hair, to check his temperature frowning as it was much warmer then he would have liked. He would need to talk with Tony.”Get some sleep kid,”

“Kay, thank you,” Peter whispered out before rolling over and closing his eyes. 

Bruce dimmed the lights, before he walked out of the room and closed the door. “Jarvis, how high was his temperature just now?” He asked quietly.

“It was 101.3, and if I must say it’s an improvement from earlier,” JARVIS replied promptly. There was no hesitation because he knew that Dr. Banner was the doctor and his creator had long ago informed him he was to tell the Doctor what he needed to know if the situation warranted it. And this one did. 

“How high was it earlier?” Bruce asked worriedly.

“103.3, that’s what it was when sir brought the young one home from school,”JARVIS answered him.

“Yes That is a vast improvement indeed, will you let me know if his temperature rises?” Bruce asked as he turned to head into the living room. He was hoping he would find Tony somewhere around here

“I will,” JARVIS replied. 

“One more thing Jarvis, where is Tony now?” Bruce asked curiously. 

“Sir is still in the kitchen,” The A.I. replied easily.

Bruce nodded, altering his course, and heading to the kitchen. “Do you need some help with that?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen to see Tony stirring a pot on the stove.

“Thanks but I got it,” Tony said as he blew on the spoon to taste a noodle. 

He had made Jarvis’s(the real one) family recipe of Chicken Noodle soup and was quite proud of it. It tasted really good. He just hoped that Peter would be up for some, as he remembered how good the broth felt on a tender stomach when he was sick. 

“Alright, well you might want to put that on simmer,” Bruce said helpfully.

“Why would I do that? It’s finished, and ready to serve,” Tony said in confusion.

“The kid is sleep,” Bruce told him honestly.

Tony froze, turning to look at Bruce with a calm expression on his face, but inside he was reeling. What had Bruce seen? “What kid?” He said quietly, going for the dumbing down route.

“Please don’t insult yours or my intelligence, I found the kid in the bathroom about to collapse so I carried him to his room just off the bathroom,” Bruce explained quietly. “You don’t need to explain anything to me Tony, I understand why you have your secrets,” he told him quietly. 

Tony nodded quickly, he had known he was taking a risk, setting Peter up in his room on the common floor but he hadn’t felt like he had a choice. The penthouse didn’t have food up there, as he hadn’t been expecting Peter to get sick today and have to come here. 

Not to mention, on the off chance that this stomach bug turned out to be something more, he wanted to be close to his teammates who could help out in an emergency. 

“Thanks for that,” Tony eventually said before turning the pot on low and Covering with the top. He grabbed the bean warmer and placed it in the microwave, knowing even if Peter wasn’t sleep he would love it. He didn’t know what else to say. 

“You’re welcome,” Bruce replied simply. “What’s his name?” He asked because there was nothing else to say. He could see Tony mentally checking out of the situation as he watched the microwave and Bruce knew he was trying to figure out a way to spin this in his favor. But there was no need, He would never betray Tony.

“Peter,” the Billionaire replied shortly. 

Tony was just going to drop the topic, Bruce could be discreet he knew that. He also knew however if he told the man to forget about it, he might dig deeper and even talk with the rest of the team. He didn’t want Peter’s identity known just yet to the team. He was very afraid of how the child might perceive them. 

Bruce sighed softly before just going for it. He would never know unless he asked, and he would never get there with this silence. “Is he yours?” He asked bluntly.

Tony gave his science buddy a confused look, as that had come out of nowhere. “Mine? What do you mean?” 

Bruce rolled his eyes, because this was so like Tony. Was he unconsciously deflecting? “Yes, that’s what I mean, so is he yours?” He repeated patiently.

Tony’s eyes got wide then as he realized just what Bruce was asking. “Are you asking if he’s my kid?”

“Yes, That is exactly what I’m asking,” Bruce stated slowly.

“The answer is no, he’s not my kid,” Tony said quietly, ignoring the small flicker of pain in his chest that his own words caused. He mentally scoffed knowing that Peter was as good as his.

“Right, well you are entitled to your secrets,”Bruce replied not believing his science bro at all. Especially because he had heard the child refer to Tony as dad. Out of the mouth of babes indeed. 

Tony frowned because he could hear the disbelief in his tone. “Brucie Bear, would I lie to you?” He asked playfully.

“To keep your secrets yes, to keep me safe yes,” Bruce said immediately.

Tony outright grinned then. “And here I was about to lie, but you do know me so well,” he said fondly. 

“I know, is he okay though? I know I said I’m not that kind of doctor, but if he’s ill don’t hide it from me. I won’t say anything about it, I just want to make sure he’s okay,” Bruce told him seriously.

Tony’s heart warmed at that, and gently placed a hand on his Bruce’s shoulder. “I appreciate that Doc, I will let you know how he is and we can go from there,” he promised.

“Thank you Tony,” Bruce said warmly.

The inventor nodded before he grabbed the bean warmer and headed out of the kitchen. 

Bruce just sighed before he too made his way out of the kitchen. He had to admit, Tony’s kid, was pretty darn adorable.

§~§~§~Living Room§~§~§~§~§~

“Does anybody know what’s got into Tony? For a moment I thought he was sick, but he looks fine. And yet he’s making chicken noodle soup, and is toting around a little bean warmer,” Clint said slowly.

“His kid is sick, I assume he’s freaking out a little,” Bucky said off-handily. 

“Tony doesn’t have a kid,” Clint scoffed out disbelieving..

“Tells what you know,” Bucky shot back before grinning as he realized he knew something Clint didn’t know. 

“Dude I would know if he did, it’s my job to know,” Clint told him tightly. He was constantly in the vents and he knew all the gossip and everything else.

“You weren’t to know, he’s hidden for a reason,” Bucky said cheerfully. He enjoyed having one up on Clint.

Bruce walked in before Clint could reply, noting the slight tension in the room. “What’s wrong?” He asked slowly, wondering if he needed to leave.

“Nothing, just Clint is pouting because of Tony’s secret. He doesn’t believe me,” Bucky laughed out.

Bruce furrowed his brow at that, as Tony kept a lot of things close to his chest. He felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as he had the same thought in the kitchen. “Secret about what?” He asked, trying to see where they were going with this.

“About whether or not he’s sick,” Bucky replied cryptically. He was trying to see if Bruce knew it as well.

“Oh, Tony’s not sick, it’s Peter,” Bruce said understanding immediately.

“Whose Peter?” Clint asked in confusion.

“I told you, that’s Tony’s secret kid,” Bucky said with a shit eating grin as he bit into an apple.

“Are you guys both fucking with me?” Clint asked with a pout.

“Not at all, he’s Tony’s. Just don’t ask him about it, he’ll deny that until his last breath,” Bruce said with a shake of his head.

“He has too, do you know what would happened if Tony’s enemies knew that kid existed?” Natasha asked as she walked into the room. 

“You knew too?” Clint asked with a betrayed look on his face. 

“You didn’t? You are slacking,” Natasha teased her partner playfully.

“Are you kidding me? Please tell me I’m not the only one who didn’t know?” He moaned out dramatically.

“Steve knows, but I’m not sure about Thor,” Bucky said with another smir.

“Thor knows, not sure how he found out, but then again Heimdal, knows everything, “Bruce said thoughtfully before turning to look at Bucky. “How did you find out?”

“The kid had a nightmare about two months ago, when Pepper and Tony and Steve were all gone. Jarvis alerted me in the middle of the night,” he said with a shrug. It hadn’t been a big deal to him as he had been comforting a sick child.

“And you decided not to disclose that with the team?” Clint asked with a frown, betrayal evident in his eyes, even if his tone was casual.

“It wasn’t something you needed to know, you still don’t need to know. What happens if you had accidentally revealed this to Fury? Tony doesn’t not need to deal with that bull shit,” Bucky said dryly.

“Especially because the kid is a mutant,” Bruce added thoughtfully.

“What? No, now you are guys are shitting me, none of this is true,” Clint said with a shake of his head. There was just no way he hadn’t known any of that.

“How did you figure that out?” Bucky asked as he actually hadn’t known that detail.

“I just walked in on the kid in the bathroom, he was stuck to the ceiling,” Bruce said dryly.

“Makes sense, no one really knows what happened in that cave but Tony,” Natasha said slowly. It wasn’t a surprising outcome. 

“I’m sure he’ll introduce us once the kid is better, but not now. His fever was really high and Tony is protective,” Bruce said, his words stopping Clint from Trying to take a peek. They all knew how Tony could get if the man felt threatened.

“Okay, I won’t pry,” Clint said with a sigh. He felt like he was being denied a high prize, but he was a father himself and he knew sick kids could bring even the calm father to rage if they felt their kid could be hurt. He had no desire to get a gauntlet to the face.

~¥~¥~¥line break~¥~¥~¥~

Bucky had thought that with the way Tony was at the moment, that the chances of the kid and him running into each other was non existent. Which is why he was so surprised when he found himself faced with the boy, or his presence at least. 

Bucky had been in the bathroom, attempting to even out his hair, when in ran a blur. He wasn’t afraid, but he was puzzled, especially when he caught sight of the child hurriedly pulling his pants down. He had but a moment to avert his eyes as the child shamelessly plopped his backside onto the toilet.

“Um, is this a test? Because usually you aren’t supposed to enter a closed door without knocking first,” Bucky said slowly as he carefully looked around the bathroom and at the cameras he knew were there but couldn’t see.

“It’s not a test, I… the bathroom by my room was full, and I couldn’t hold it,” Peter said miserably. He had barely made it here, and he was thankful that he was too sick to be embarrassed. He hoped the man wouldn’t make him leave, because he didn’t think he could even get off the toilet right now.

“That’s fair,” Bucky said slowly before he turned to properly look at the child. 

The boy’s hair was covered in sweat, and his face was feverish. He wasn’t sure how old the boy was but he wouldn’t put him older then 15, at the most. He wondered idly if he was supposed to leave, especially considering the fact that he had been here first. No to mention he didn’t want to leave the boy on his own, he looked closed to just kneeling over on the toilet.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said softly, frowning as he caught the eyes of the older male. He had after all invited himself in the bathroom. To be honest, he hadn’t even realized there was someone else in here, until the man spoke. That’s how focused he had been on not having an accident in his pants.

“Nobody got hurt,” Bucky said easily. “What’s ailing you?”

“The stomach bug,” Peter said with a moan before his stomach continued to empty itself into the toilet.

“Do you need me to get your Dad?” Bucky asked the child kindly.

“No need Buckaroo, I’m right here,” Tony said as he walked into the bathroom, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell. “You’re due for your next bout of medicine,” he told his child softly.

“Okay,” Peter said but he didn’t move from his spot on the toilet, he couldn’t. “But I’m not done yet,” he added shamefully.

“What did I say about that? Everyone shits kid, even me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Tony said bluntly.

“I know but you don’t have to say it like that,” Peter said his face going red in his mortification. 

“It’s normal,” Tony repeated before he glanced around the bathroom. “Is something wrong with the bathroom by your room?”

“Someone was in it, the door was locked,” Peter murmured out. 

“Oh, well I’ll tell the team to steer clear of that one for now. By the way someone was in this one too,” Tony said with a pointed look at the super soldier.

“I was gonna have an accident and this door was unlocked so I thought no one was in here,” Peter whispered out, feeling like he was about to get in trouble. 

“This is true, he rushed right by me, his eyes were only on the toilet,” Bucky said not wanting the boy in trouble.

“No ones in trouble, but why was the door unlocked?” Tony asked curiously.

“I was raised in a house that had 6 people and 2 bathrooms. If the toilet was unoccupied, the door had to be unlocked. This prevented many accidents,” Bucky said with a shrug.

“Huh, I didn’t think about it that way,” Tony said thoughtfully. 

“Not to mention, how old is he?” Bucky asked curiously.

“Just turned 13 two months ago,” Tony answer out proudly.

“As I was saying, he’s a kid, and to make him wait when he was as desperate as he was when I’m just cutting my hair would be cruel. I’m many things Tony, but cruel I am not,” Bucky said before he turned to look back at the mirror.

“Noted,” Tony said before he focused his attention back on Peter. “How’s your stomach? Or should I just have JARVIS to tell me?” He asked as sometimes the child didn’t like to tell him everything.

“Still really hurts,” Peter said unhelpfully.

“So I’m asking JARVIS, that’s fine. Are you finished Underoos?” Tony asked the child kindly.

“I think for now I am,” Peter told him honestly because he really didn’t know.

“Buckaroo, I’m sorry to do this but could you please get out? I need to get him cleaned up and though he’s not embarrassed right now, he will be when he feels better and I don’t want him to deal with that,” Tony said apologetically.

“I’m gone,” Bucky said easily as he locked and closed the bathroom door behind him.

Tony nodded and opened the drawer to grab the wipes that Pepper had the foresight of ordering. He never thought he would see the day when he would willingly wipe a child’s bum, but here he was. He shook his head before he carefully moved to clean up his child.


End file.
